


Stayin' Alive

by ZombieBabs



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Bee Gees, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Gen, Humor, Ouija, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Shippy Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-19 00:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7337833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieBabs/pseuds/ZombieBabs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex and Nic convince Strand to join them in playing with a Ouija board.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stayin' Alive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Wonderful_Jinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wonderful_Jinx/gifts).



> Based off of this [post](http://wakeupontheprongssideofthebed.tumblr.com/post/146505383293) on tumblr. Written for Jinx's birthday! Happy birthday! Hope you enjoy!

“And here I thought, Dr. Strand, that you didn’t believe in these types of things.”

Strand stands there, his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed at the challenge. He knows what Alex is doing, but still, he takes the bait.

“Fine.” He pulls out the remaining chair at the table. Nic gives Alex a low five under the table. Alex grins.

“Okay,” Nic says, deferring to the expert in the paranormal. “How does this work?”

Strand looks like he’d rather be having teeth pulled. “You don’t know?”

Nic picks up the page with instructions printed on it and waves it. “Sure, but humor me. Think of it as for the podcast.”

“For the podcast.” Strand doesn’t look convinced.

“Listeners are curious,” Alex says. “And who better to explain how one of these things works than their favorite skeptic?”

Strand’s ears go pink. It’s _adorable_. “I doubt I’m anyone’s fa--”

“No,” Nic interjects.

“You are!” Alex says. 

The shade of pink deepens and the sight of Strand, embarrassed and flattered, is somehow _beyond_ adorable. Criminally so. Alex can see it in the way he holds himself that they have him. He straightens a little more in his seat, going into what Alex thinks of as ‘lecture mode.’ “It’s simple. We place our hands on the planchette and ask the so-called spirits a question.”

“That’s it?” Nic asks.

Strand shrugs. “I’ve already explained the ideomotor effect, when we discussed the demon board from the Black Tape case.”

“Yes, because Dr. Strand doesn’t believe that spirits actually exist. But have you ever used a ouija board yourself, Strand?”

If Strand were a cat, his hackles would be rising. He might even swat at them. “I’m afraid I haven’t. If this is some convoluted effort to convince me--”

“Relax,” she says, putting her hand over his on the table. “I was just teasing.”

“Oh.” Strand stares down at her hand, but he doesn’t pull away. “I see.”

“So!” Nic says, putting his hands on the planchette. “Shall we get started?”

Alex puts hers on the planchette and then looks at Strand. She can see the thoughts flip-flopping in his head behind his eyes before he closes them and sighs. His hands join the rest.

Alex bumps his shoulder, silently thanking him for playing along. Strand looks away. “What question are you going to ask?”

Nic frowns. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

Strand looks at him, his expression that of a man who has suffered countless injustices and that this moment could possibly be the one that finally breaks him.

Alex clears her throat. She straightens her shoulders and tries to pretend that she’s one of the mediums she’s seen on TV, nevermind the fact that she’s spoken to several people who claim to be psychic for her podcast and none of them had put on the deep, haunting voice that she tries to adapt. “Spirit, where are you right now?”

Nic snickers and even Strand’s lips curl up into a wry smile.

The planchette begins to move.

Nic and Alex read out the letters as the planchette comes to a stop at each one. “A… L… I… V… E…”

“Alive?” Nic asks. “How can a spirit be alive?”

“I don’t know,” Alex says. “Let’s ask.”

“You can’t be serious,” Strand says.

Alex bumps his shoulder again. “Don’t ruin the mood.” She clears her throat again. “Spirit, how can you still be alive?”

The planchette moves and again, Nic and Alex read out the letters. “S… T… A… I… N… A… L...I...V...E…”

“Stayin’ alive,” Strand interprets, brows drawn down in a way that Alex does _not_ find endearing. At all.

“Oh no,” Nic says.

“Nic, I thought I asked you to get a ouija board!” 

“I thought that I did!”

Alex turns solemn eyes on Strand. “I’m sorry, Dr. Strand. It turns out this is a Bee Gee board.”

The table is silent for a long moment. Finally, Strand takes his hands from the planchette and gets up from the table. “I quit. Good luck with your podcast.”

“No, you can’t quit!” Alex says, grabbing for his hand before he can get too far away.

Nic is doubled over, laughing. Alex can feel her own face start to crack out of the apologetic look she’s trying to give Strand. Strand tries to extricate his hand from hers, but gives up when she doesn’t let go. “I can’t lose my favorite skeptic,” she says.

Strand opens his mouth and then closes it. He swallows, at a loss for words for the first time since she’s met him. 

Alex squeezes his hand in hers. “Stay?”

Strand looks like he regrets every life decision he’s made that has led him to this point, but he presses her hand back and nods.

“Great!” Nic says.

Alex nods, then breaks out into a grin. “Now that that’s decided, how do you feel about scaring the shit out of some impressionable interns?”

Strand laughs.


End file.
